Reversing and cut-out switch.



n Patented Apr. 3, |900@y T. von zwelssEnGK. BEVERSING AND CUT-OUT SWITCH.

(A pplicign lsd Jun. 28, 1897.)

(No Model.)

- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

TI-IORSTEN VON ZWEIGBERGK, OF CLEVELAND, OIIIO.`

REVERSING AND CUT-OUT SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 646,485, dated April 3, 1900. Application filed January 26,1897. Serial No. 620,821. (No model.)

To LU whom t may oon/067%:

Be it known that I, TrroRsTEN voN ZWEIG- BERGK, a subject of the King of Sweden and Norway, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Reversing and Cutting-Out Switches; and I do hereby declare the following to be a f ull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to a switch for reversing one or more electric motors and for cutting out a motor when desired. It is especially adapted for use on street-railway cars having a pair of motors; and its object is to supply convenient means for directing at will the current through both motors in either direction, whether the motors are connected in series or parallel, and for cutting out either motor and properly directing the current through the remaining one.

The invention consists in the construction and combination of parts hereinafter specified, and definitely pointed out in the claim.

The drawings show my invention in an improved form.

Figure 1 is an elevation of the switch with the cover removed. Fig. 2 is a development of the surface thereof, showing diagrammatically the contact-iingers, the fields and armatures of a pair of motors, and the connecting-circuits. Fig. 3 is a top View of the switchcase, indicating the different positions of the switch. Fig. a is a vertical central section taken on the line 4c e of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on the line 5 5 of Fig. l;y and Fig. 6 is a horizontal section on the line 6 6 of Fig. l, showing the detent mechanism for retaining the switch in the desired position.

Similar letters of reference designate similar parts in each figure.

Secured to an insulatingsleeve B, which surrounds and is secured to a vertical shaft A, are a series of metallic bands d/ to a9, inclusive, separated from each other by insulatingflanges b, these parts constituting an efficient movable switch. Secured to these bands are two series of segmental contact-plates m' to m and n' to m13, against which bear contactfingers, to which the circuit-wires are connected. .The purpose of the contact-plates is to connect together desired contact-lingers. One of the contact-fingers is shown at C in Fig. 5, and the series are indicated by C to C10, inclusive, in Figs. l and 2. The finger is composed of the contact-button c and its spring-arm, secured to an insulating-block c, by which it' is given the required pressure against the contact-plate and which forms the conductor from the contact-button.

In the arrangement of the parts illustrated in the drawings the circuit may lead from the controller-switch (not shown) to the contact-finger C and from the contact-finger C2 through the field of one of the motors, which I will designate as motor No. l. This field is shown diagrammatically at D. From the field D the circuit leads back to contact-finger C4. The circuit leads through the armature D of motor No. 1 and back to contact-finger C5 and from contact-1in ger CG to the controller. From the controller the circuit leads into contact-finger C7, from contact-finger C8 through the field of motor No. 2 to contact-linger C9, and from contact-.iinger Clo it leads through the armature of motor No. 2 to the ground.

In the position of the switch which is indicated as off in Fig. 3 the contact-fingers do not bear upon any of the plates, and hence no connection is established. This position is also shown in Fig. 5 and is indicated at the center of the development in Fig. 2.

Inasmuch as contact-fingers C and C2 are always to be connected together when they are connected at all, I make the band ct of twice the width of the other bands, and the contact-plates m nf, secured to this band, are wide enough to receive the contact of both fingers C and C2. 1f desired, instead of this one wide band there might be two bands of the same width as the others and. properly connected together. The circuits of the contact-fingers are so arranged that in the position of the switch to go ahead proximate pairs of fingers are to be connected together. To accomplish this, I provide contact-plates m2 to m7 of' great enough width to receive two contact-iingers and secure each of these plates to 'one of the bands and let it project over the proximate band, the result being that when the contact-fingers rest upon these plates each pairis connected togetherthrough IOO them. The development illustrated in Fig. 2 shows the ditterent positions of these contact-plates. In the position indicated as Nos. l and 2, which corresponds to the similarlynumbered position in Figs. 3 and 5, contactlingers C and C2 are connected together by the plate m', C, and Gl to the plate m2, and so on. Thus the current coming in through the contact-linger C' passes through the field and armature of motor No. l out to the controller and back through the field and armature of motor No. 2 and to the ground or return wire, or if the controller connects the two motors in parallel the current divides and comes in through the two contact-lingers C and C7 and, passing through the armature and field of each motor, goes to the ground or return wire. if the shaft A is turned through a portion of a revolution until its handle-lever H is in the position corresponding to No. l ahead in Fig. 3, the contact-iingers C to C6, inclusive, are in contact with the left-hand halt' of the plates m', m2, and m3, but the contact-lingers (lT to G10, inclusive, are out of contact with any contactplates. This position is indicated at No. l ahead in the development. ln this case the current flows through the eld and armature of motor No. l and out to the controller, motor No. 2 being cutout. On the other hand, if the switch is in the position corresponding to No. 2 ahead, motor No. l is entirely cut out and the current coming in from the controller passes through the ield and armature of motor No. 2 only.

lVhen it is desired to reverse the motors, the operating-handle is turned to bring the shaft into some of the positions indicated in the lower half of Fig. 2, which corresponds to the right half of the development shown in Fig. 2. The contact-plates corresponding to the reverse position are not of double width, with the stated exception of the [irst one, and thus each contacts with one finger only. Contact-plates which connect the fingers, so as to reverse either or both motors, are shown at n to p13, inclusive. Those corresponding to the reverse position of motor No. l are the plates a to a5, and those corresponding to the reverse position of motor No. 2 are the plates n to nl", inclusive. lt will be remembered that the overlapping contact-plates m2 to m7, inclusive, do not contact with certain of the bands, as c3 and d4 and a? and (t8. Each of these bands is connected with alternate bands by the metallic bars p', p2, p3, and p4. Thus ft2 and a4, t3 and c5, CLG and (1S, and u? and a are connected by these bars. As one ot each of these pairs of bands is out of operation when the switch is in position to go ahead, the connection through the bars p to p1 is immaterial at that time. When, however, the switch stands, for example, in position with the contactiingers engaging the plates 'a' to ai', inclusive, the current passes in through the contact-linger C, through the field D in the usual order, and then :from the contactfinger C3 to the plate n2 and via the hand (1,2 through the connecting-bar p to the band (t1 and plate n.4, and thence around through the armature E in the reverse direction to con tact-ringer C4, and from thence through the contact-plate n3 and the band uf to the bar 19", which forms the circuit to the plate n, from which it passes out to the controller. The eurrent comingin from the controller passes `from finger C7 to the plate n and from thence around through either the field or armature of the motor in reverse direction and out to the ground. Both motors will therefore bc reversed.

The drawings show the reversal as taking place in the armature of motor llo. 1 and in the iield of motor No. 2. It may, however, be reversed at either place, as desired, and therefore the drawings illustrate either form.

From what has been said it will be understood that when the switch is in the position for motor No.1 alone orfor motor No. 2 alone the other motor will be cut out and the current will pass through but one. Under ordinary circumstances the operating-lever will be swung between the positions of Nos. l and 2 ahead and Nos. l and 2 reverse, as shown in Fig. 3, passing through the oll position. To prevent accidental swinging ot the lever farther than either of these positions, l provide on the top plate R of the case the lugs S and S', against which a depending lug T on the handle H im pingesi Should, however, one motor become disabled, so that it is desirable to cut it out and use but one, the handle-le ver is lifted up, so that its lug T can pass over the lug S or S', and it is carried over into a position corresponding to the left half of Fig. 3. lf it is motor No. 2 that is disabled, the lever stands at the position indicated as No. l ahead to go forward and is swung through one hundred and eighty degrees to the position indicated as Nd l reverse to go backward. At any intermediate position the current will be thrown olt, since motor No. 2 is out of use. Should motor No. l bc disabled, the lever swings from the forward position of No. 2 to the rearward position and will be off at an intermediate position or at either No. l position.

In order that the switch may properlystop at its desired position and not be accidentally displaced therefrom, l provide the indicatorwheel w, (shown in Fig. 6,) having notches corresponding to the ditlerent positions of the switch, and the detent-arm u, which has a de pending roller engaging with these notches. This roller is held in contact with the wheel by the spring ly, which gives suliieiently to allow movement of the shaft. This detent mechanism may be placed in any desired position within the case. The ease may be ot' any well-known construction, and for that reason is not shown.

Having thus described my invent-ion,what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

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`Inareversing-swtch,amovableswitchcar- 'those plates are connected, in combination rying aplurality of insulated metallic bands, with contact-fingers adapted to contact with two series of plates carried by said bands, the either series of plates whereby the current I5 plates of one series being wide enough to eX- may be reversed, substantially as and for the 5 tend over two consecutive bands but each bepurpose specied.

ing connected with but one band whereby In testimony whereof I aix my signature some of the bands are out of connection withv in presence of two Witnesses. the series, the plates of the other series being connected one to each band and not overlap- THORSTEN VON ZWEIGBERGK 1o ping, and electrical connection between each Vitnesses:

of those bands to which the rst series of E. L. THURSTON,

plates are not connected, and bands to which ALBERT H. BATES. 

